Even Republicans are starting to ask: What could possibly be in {Romney's} old tax returns that is worse than creating the impression he has something to hide? When Romney finally released his 2010 return, it was revealed that he had millions in an offshore Cayman Islands fund and millions more in a Swiss bank account he had failed to disclose earlier. This was perfectly legal, if politically tone-deaf. The man had been running for president for nearly eight years. One would think that, by 2010, he would have scrubbed his finances to get rid of any controversial investments. Whatever is in his earlier tax returns, Romney is better off releasing them and enduring some more bad press than giving Team Obama more fodder for its “what is Mitt hiding” campaign.

I'm just guessing here, but no, Romney is probably not better off releasing his past tax returns or he would have already done so.

Thiessen is asking why Romney keeps shooting himself in the foot on the tax return issue. The simplest explanation is that he is pursuing the path that exacts the least political pain. Even if he looks evasive and dishonest, that's better than whatever those tax returns would reveal.

The only alternative theory is that Romney and his team are truly stupid.

When even conservatives are beginning to ask: "What could possibly be in his old tax returns that is worse than creating the impression he has something to hide?" you can be sure that whatever it is is very bad.